Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-12-15

pie by granting to them a measure of
relief from tariff taxation in quarters
where it can be most fairly and justly
accorded. Nor can the presentation
made of such consideration be, with any
degree of fairness, regarded as evidence
of unfriendliness toward our manufacture
ing interests or Of any lack of apprecia-
ton OF their value and Importance These
interests constitute leading and most
substantial element of our national great
ness and furnish the proud proof OF our
country's progress. But IL in the emer-
gency that presses upon US our manufac-
turers are asked to surrender something
for the public good and to avert disaster.
their patriotism, as well as grateful
recognition of advantages already afford
ed, should lead them to willing co-opera-
ton. No demand is made that they shall
forego all the benefits of governmental
regard; but they cannot fail to be ad-
monished OF their duty as we'll
| est and safety when they are re-
minded of the fact that financial panic
and collapse to which the p esent cOndi-
tion tends, affords no greater shelter or
protection to our manufactures than to
our important enterprises Opportunity
for safe, careful and deliberate reform Is
now offered; and none of us should be
unmindful Of a time when an abused and
irritated people, needless of those who
have resisted timely and reasonable relief,
rectifcation OF their wrongs.
DIFFICULT TASK.
The difficulty attending wise and fair
revision of our tariff laws is not over
estimated. 1t will require on the part of
the congress great labor and care, and
| especially broad and national contem-
plation Of the subject, and a patriotic
disregard Of such local and selfish claims
as are unreasonable and reckless of the
welfare Of the entire country. Under our
present laws more than 4, 600 articles are
subject to duty. Many OF these do not in
any way compete with our own manu-
| features and many are hardly worth at
| tention as subjects of revenue. A con-
| siderable reduction can be made in the
aggregate by adding them to the free list.
| features of harships; but the necessaries
| of life used and consumed by all the peo-
pie, the duty upon which adds to the cost
| of living in every home, should be greatly
| cbeapened. The radical reduction of the
| duties imposed upon raw material used
| in manufactures r its free importation
| is, of course, an important factor in an
| effort to reduce the price OF these neces-
saries. 1t would not only relieve them
| from the increased cost, caused nv the
| tariff on such material, but the manu-
facturers product being thus cheapened,
| that part of the tariff now laid upon such
product as a compensation to our manu-
| facturers for the present price of raw
material could be accordingly modified.
Such reduction, or free importation,
would serve besides to largely reduce the
| revenue.
1t is not apparent how such a change
| can have an injurious effect upon our
| manufacturers. On the contrary, it
| would appear to give them a.better chance
| in foreign markets with the manufacture
| ers of other countries, who cheaper their
wares by free material. Thus our reople
| might have the opportunity of extending
A. l.
| sumption, saving them from the depres-
| sion, interruption in business and loss
| caused by "lutted domestic market and
affording their employees more certain
| and steady labor with its resulting quiet
| and contentment.
| NOT A PARTISAN IsstE.
| The question thus imperatively present
| ed for solution should be approached in a
spirit higher than partisan, hip and con-
sidered in the light of that regard for
| patriotic duty which should characterize
the action of those intrusted with the
veal of confiding people, but the obiga-
| tion to declared party DO icy and primer
| pie Is not wanting TO urge prompt and
effective action. Both of the great polit-
| ical parties now represented in the gov
| eminent have, by repeated and authors
| tative declarations, condemned the condi-
| ton of our laws which permits tie cOllec-
| tion from the people OF unnecessary rev
| enue, and have in the most solemn man.
/
as citizens nor partisans are our country
| men in mood to condone the deliberate
| violation of these pledges
| Our progress towards wise conclusion
| will not he improved 10y dwelling upon the
| theories of protection and free trade. This
savors too much of bandving epithets
| IL condition which confronts us not a
| theory. Relief from this condition may
| involve slight reduction of the advan.
| tages which we award our home produc
! tions, but the entire withdrawal of such
| advantages should not be contemplated.
| NOT QUESTION OF FREE TRADE.
| The question OF free trade is absolutely
irrelevant, and the persistent claim in GER
| tain quarters that all efforts to relieve the
people from unjust and unnecessary taxa.
| tion are schemes of o-called frae-traders,
| is miscbievous and far removed from any
consideration for the public good. The
| simple plain DUTY which we owe the
| people is to reduce taxation to the
| necessary expenses of an economical
| operation of the government and to
| restore to the business Of the country the
money which we hold in the treasury
| through the perversion of governmental
| powers. These things can and should be
| done with safety to all our industries
without danger to the opportunity for
remunerative labor which our working.
| men need, and with benefit to them and
all our people, by cheapening their means
| of subsistence and increasing the measure
| of their comforts.
| in conclusion, the president says that
| he is so much impressed with the import
ance Of the subject with which he has been
| dealing that he shall forego the custom
| ary reference to other matters, and for
these he refers congress to the depart